Article assembling fixture



Oct. 16, 1945. C A

' ARTICLE ASSEMBLING FIXTURE Filed Feb. 2, 1 944 2 sh ets-sheet 1 /M[A/MR C. G. MCCAIN ,Ak/x. 720mm Oct. 16, 1945. c. c. MOCNN 2,387,083

I ARTICLE ASSEMBLING FIXTURE I w I Filed Feb. 2, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 240 WHHK A m/i/[N'mk CiCMQC'A/A. By /C- Patented Oct. 16, 1945 ARTICLEASSEMBLING FIXTURE Cecil C. McCain, Glen Ellyn, 111., assignor toWestern Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporationof New York Application February 2, 1944; Serial N0.'520,794

13 Claims.

This invention relates to article assembling fixtures and moreparticularly to a fixture for assembling quartz crystal mounting wireson their respective supporting terminal posts.

In the manufacture of certain types of quartz crystals for use asfrequency control. devices in electronic apparatus, it is sometimes thepractice to support the quartz crystal between a pair of lead; wires. Itis important that the lead wires be accurately aligned with respect toeach other and with respect to. the terminal posts on which they aremounted.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an efficient andefiective fixture for assembling quartz crystal mounting wires onterminal p ts.

In. accordance with one embodiment of this invention, a fixture forassembling quartz crystal mounting wires on supporting terminal postsmounted in a crystal housing base block is provided comprising a pivotalsupport for the base block and a plate associated with the support andsuitably recessed to receive the upper portions of the mounting wires.The terminal posts, with the wires loosely assembled thereon, are placedon the pivotal support, which is then pivoted to position the upperportions of the mounting wires in the recesses in the plate. Slidableretaining members are mounted on this plate to clamp the wires in therecesses during the soldering operation.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will. be more apparentfrom the following detailed description taken in conjunction with thedrawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a fixture constructedin accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view along the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view along the line- 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to'FigLS, eX-

extendtransversely through the base block and are substantially parallelto each other, being positioned in opposite end portions thereof, asshown. On. each of these terminal posts,- as shown in these figures, ispositioned a mounting wire l2 comprising a helical lower portion 13, asubstantially straight mid-portion l4 and a helical upper portion l5which is coiled in a plane at right angles to the plane of the lowerportion #3. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a fixtureby which. these mounting wires may be accurately aligned with andpositioned on their respective terminal posts.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen. that this fixture comprises arectangular frame It, the central portion of which is provided with arectangular aperture H. A flat plate 20 of slightly less width than theaperture 1-! is pivotally mounted in the lower portion of the aperture Hon a ro tatable shaft 2! which extends horizontally across the lowerportion of the frame. It A pair oi vertically extending apertures 22 areformed in the upper portion of. the plate 29 and spaced apartthe samedistance the terminal posts H are spaced. apart on the base block I0.These apertures are of suitable size. to receive the lower portions ofthe terminal posts It and a pair of springs 23 are mounted on a side ofthe plate 20 so that their upper portions will extend through a pair ofslots 25 formed on the same-side of the plate 20 to permit the upperportions of the springs 23 to bear against the terminal posts it wheninserted in the apertures 22 and, thus, toretain the terminal posts and.base block in. position. on the plate 20-.

When assembling the base block ID on the plate 20, the plate 20 ispivoted forwardly to the position shown in Fig. 4 to facilitateinsertion of the terminal posts in the apertures 2-2. A small block 25is mounted on one sideof the frame It to predeterminetheposition towhich the plate may be pivoted while a spherical member 26 is mounted inan aperture 21 formed in the inner side of the frame l6 and is urgedagainst the adjacent side of the plate when the plate is pivoted intothe assembly position after the base block it has been placed thereon. Aspring 30, mounted in the rear portion of the aperture 21, urgesthes-pherical member 26 forward and. a small recess 3! is formed in theside of the plate 28 to receive the forward portionot the sphericalmember 26. A stop member 32, mount.- ed on the opposite side of theframe from the stop member 25', prevents the plate from being pivotedrearward-1y past the spherical member 26 When the plate 20 is in theposition in which it is held by the spherical member 26, the upperportions l of the mounting wires II! will rest against a downwardlyextending, integrally formed portion 33 of the frame 16. The lower endof this downwardly extending portion is provided with a pair of circularrecesses 34 in which the coiled upper portions [5 of the mounting wiresmay be received and by which the mounting wires may be accuratelypositioned with respect to the. terminal posts H. A short slot extendsdownwardly at a tangent to the circular recesses 34 to receive thestraight portions l4 of'the mounting wires.

After the upper portions of the mounting wires have been assembled inthe recesses 34, a pair of retaining fingers 3B,which are slidablymounted on the frame I6 and the lower portions of which bear against thedownwardly extending portion 33 of the frame, are moved downwardly toclamp' the coiled portions of the mounting wires in the recesses 34. Theintegrally formed portion 33 of the frame I6 has an upwardly extendingintegral portion 49, as maybe clearly seen in the drawings, and theupper portions of the fingers 36 extend thereover; A retaining: plate 4|is attached to theportions 33 and 4c of the frame l6 and holds thefingers 36, which are of rectangular cross section, in verticallyextending grooves 42 formed in the portions 33 and 40 of the frame I6;"A- pair of springs 43, similarj to the springs 23, mounted ontheplateZB, are mounted on the retaining plate 4| and extend through slots44 formed in the lowerportion thereof so as to bear against the uppersides of the fingers 36 and urge the fingers against the portion 33.These fingers are "provided with notches 45 in which the ends of thesprings 43 are receivable so that, when the fingers are moved downwardto clamp the upper portionsof the mounting wires inthe circular recesses34, the fingers will not accidentally move away. A pair of lugs 46 aremounted atright angles to the'upper ends of the fingers 36 and extendthrough slots 41 formed in the upperportion of the retaining plate.These lugs facilitate moving'the fingers upward or downward.

After the mounting wires have been clamped in the;circular recesses 34by moving the fingers 36 downward, solder is applied to the lowerportions 13 of the mounting wires, which are coiled about the upper endsof theterminal posts II to rigidlyattach the mounting wires thereto..The fingers 36 are then moved upward and the plate pivoted outwardly topermit removal of the block Ill and associated parts, a knurled knob 50being attached to one end of the shaft 2lto facilit'ate rotationthereof. Y

While but one embodiment of this invention has been shown and described,it will be understood that many changes and modifications may be madetherein without departing from the spirit or scope of the presentinvention.

' What is claimedis': 1 I

"1. A fixture for; assembling amounting wire on a te'rminalpostcomprising a pivotal support 2. A fixture for assembling a mounting wireon a terminal post comprising a pivotal support for the terminal post,means for retaining the post on the support, means positioned adjacentsaid pivotal support and having a recess formed therein for receiving anoffset portion of said mounting wire to position said offset portion ofsaid mounting wire in a predetermined relation to said terminal post,said pivotal support being movable to carry the offset portion of themounting wire into the recess of said positioning means and meansmovable relatively to said positioning means for clamping said mountingwire on said positioning means.

3. A fixture for assembling a mounting wire on a terminal postcomprising a plate having an aperture formed therein to receive aportion of said post, resilient means associated with said plate forretaining said post in said aperture, means positioned adjacent saidplate and having a recess formed therein to receive an ofiset portion ofsaid mounting wire to position the offset portion of said mounting wirein a predetermined relation to said terminal post, and means forretaining said ofifset portion of said-mounting wire in said recess insaid positioning means. 4. A fixture for assembling a mounting wire on aterminal post comprising a plate having anaperture formed therein toreceive a portion of said post, resilient means associated with saidplate for retaining said post in said aperture,

said plate being slotted adjacent said aperture to permit a portion ofsaid resilient means to bear against said post, means positionedadjacent said plate and having a recess formed therein to re-' ceive aportion of said mounting wire, and means.

for holding said portion of said mounting wire in said recess,

5. A fixture for assembling a mounting wire on r a terminal postcomprising a pivotal support forthe terminal post, means for retainingthe post on the support, means adjacent said support for receiving acoiled end portion of said mounting wire to position said coiled endportion of said mounting wire in a predeterminedrelation to saidterminal post, said pivotal support being movable to carry the coiledend portion of the mounting wire to the positioning means and means forclamping said coiled end portion of said mounting Wire on saidpositioning jacent said support.

6. A fixture for assembling a mountingwire on a terminal post comprisinga support for the" terminal post, means adjacent said support having arecess formed therein to receive a coiledend' portion of said mountingwire to position said coiled end of said mounting wire in apredetermined relation to said terminal post, and a 'finger slidablymounted on said means and movable to retain a portion of said mountingwire in said recess. 1

7. A fixture for assembling a mounting wire on a terminal postcomprising a support for the terminal post, means adjacent said supporthaving a .recess formed therein to receive a coiled end por- 8. Afixture for assembling a. mounting wire on a terminal post comprising aplate having an aperture formed therein to receive a portion of meansad- 7 said post, resilient means associated with said plate forretaining said post in said aperture, means adjacent said plate having arecess formed therein to receive a portion of said mounting wire, afinger slidably mounted on said latter means and movable to clamp aportion of said mounting wire in said recess, and resilient meansassociated with said slidable finger for preventing accidental shiftingthereof.

9. A fixture for assembling a mounting wire on a terminal postcomprising a plate having an aperture formed therein to receive aportion of said post, means adjacent said plate having a recess formedtherein to receive a coiled end portion of said mounting wire toposition said coiled end of said mounting wire in a predeterminedrelation to said terminal post, and a finger slidably mounted on saidmeans and movable to clamp a portion of said mounting wire in saidrecess.

10. A fixture for assembling a mounting wire on a terminal postcomprising a pivotally mounted plate having an aperture formed thereinto receive a portion of said post, resilient means associated with saidplate for retaining said post in said aperture, means adjacent saidplate and on a terminal post comprising a plate having an apertureformed therein to receive a portion of said post, means adjacent saidplate having a recess formed therein to receive a portion of saidmounting wire, a finger slidably mounted on said latter means andmovable to clamp a portion of said mounting Wire in said recess, andresilient means associated with said slidable finger for preventingaccidental shifting thereof.

12. A fixture for assembling a mounting wire on a terminal postcomprising a pivotally mounted plate having an aperture formed thereinto receive a portion of said post, means adjacent said plate having arecess formed therein to receive and position an offset portion of saidmounting wire in a predetermined relation to said terminal post, andmeans for clamping the offset portion of said mounting wire on saidpositioning means.

13. A fixture for assembling mounting wires on terminal posts of adevice comprising a pivotal support having a plurality of aperturestherein to receive a portion of the posts of said device, meanspositioned adjacent said pivotal support and having a plurality ofrecesses for receiving having a recess formed therein to receive aporand positioning the coiled ends of said mounting wires in apredetermined relation to each other and to said posts, and means forretaining said coiled ends of said wires on said positioning means whilesaid mounting wires are fixed to said posts.

CECIL C. McCAIN.

